Method of making phonograph records



Patented Nov. 2, 1948 METHOD VOF- MAKING 'PHNGRAPH RECORDS Lawrence A. Wood, Jr.,klndianapolis, Ind., assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a. corporation of Delaware Application June 29, 1944, Serial No. 542,723

6 Claims.

r-lhis invention relates to a method of making phonograph records. and more particularly toan improved method of forming a laminated record of :the disc type.

Various materials haveibeen proposed heretofore for the manufacture of laminated phonograph records. Among such materials is a paper hack-.ed plastic sh-eetWh-ich, in the course of molding the record in a record press, is bonded to or laminated with a `suitable core material. The paper A'backed .surface layer may comprise any suitable plastic material which can he molded readily. such as one .of the vinyl copolymers.

These coated paper `discs may be prepared by several methods. One such method is to apply the plastic surface layer to `the vpaper by means of heated calender rolls. This treatment result-s in a surface layer which has a very lsmooth surface. In the case of vinyl copolymers and other plastics of `'similar flow characteristics, diiliculty is frequently encountered during the record molding operation in ythe press in that air yor other gases are 4trapped between the record pressing matrix and thev highly smooth or polished record surface material. The entrapped gas results in unfilled spots or pockets which are mor-e or less microscooc in size and are known as ticks 4inasmuch as they Aproduce a sound similar -to a tick duringreproduction. This distortion is, ofcourse. highly undesirable. I have found that this effect can 4he eliminated by profver roughening of the plastic surf ace before molding.

The primary object of my present invention, therefore. is to provide an improved laminated phonograph record and an improved method of forming the same which Will -b-e free from the aforementioned defect.

More particularly, it is an object of my present invention .to provide an improved methode-f forming a disc record the surface of Vwhich Will he free from indentaticns or the like normally resulting from the pressure of entrapped gas thereagainst during the molding operation.

.Another object of my present invention is vto provide an improved methodof preparing'phonograph record surfacing material for .laminated disc records which can be used successfullyrin the manufacture of records as above set forth.

*A `)further object of my presen-t invention Ais to provide, in the method of molding phonograph records with the aid of a molding matrix, a novel step .which result-s in nished records free from pockets or other indentations as above described.

Still .ano-ther object of my present :inventionis to provide an improved method y.of forming` a phonograph record as vaforesaid which willafford,

improved quality of reproduction.

In accordance with my present invention, the

plastic surface layer is rough-cned, as by means .of

i coarse sandpaper or by embossing witha knurling tool, prior to .the molding operation. In practice,v

the sheets may be roughened with appropriately surfacedA calendering or embossing rolls, or by pressing them :between rough lpress platens. The exact degree of roughness is not critical, although it is preferable that the dimensions of the indentations yformed-.on the plastic 'surface .shouldwbe of'ithe sam-e order .of magnitude as the dimensionsof the record groove, for example, 0.001 inch kto.A

0.004 inch. The indentations or recesses-formed inthe surface of the plastic sound groove receiv ing layer constitute a plurality of intercornmun-i-l cati-ng passages through which the entrapped .air or other .gases evolved during the molding. operav tioncan escape. These passagesmay b earran-ged overthe-surface of the plastic layer `either accord-ing to a uniform orV regular pattern; or they may. bev arranged more l:or lessindiscriminately.

and rhaphazardly over thesurface of the `plastic layer. more passages which will gas 'which `would otherwise become ,entrapped between .the molding matrix and vthe plastic sheet. In some cases, it may eveniee .suflicient to provide merely aimatted fin-ish on the surface .of the plastic layer .in placeof its usual highly polished, Calender coated discs of vinyly smooth surface. copolymers `on .pa-per, laminated under .a wide variety of pressing 4and preheating. cycles, were found to Yfill out properly in yaccordance with my present invention Vwhen the surfaces thereof were roughened asa'bove set forth. l

The novel features that I consider characteristie fof .my invention are .set forth with particularityin the appended claims. The .inventiongitself, however, both as to its organization `.and method of producing the same, aswell as additionalcbjects .and advantages thereof,will best be understood by reference :to the accompanying, dra-Wing, in which Figure 1 is lan exploded, sectional yvievv of .a record press witha charge therein for forming alam- Y inated recordof the type v`under consideration,

Figure .-2.15 Va fragmentary sectional viewshowing the record pressing ,matrix .brought .down into, contactuwith a plastic kmaterial having a .smoothl surface, .as 1n the Acase .-of conventional. .prior art records,

rFigure 3 is .asimilar view showing .the position.

of, the matrixY whenjhel 'press'. 'is fully -c'los'ed and The important thing isto provide one yorpermit the es-cope of with the air pockets trapped between the matrix and the record,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary, perspective View of a paper backed, embossed plastic sheet formed according to my present invention and showing the channels or passageway.; which permit escape of the normally trapped air, I

Figure is a diagrammatic View sh-owing how a paper backed layer with a plastic surfacing ma:l

terial such as that shown in Fig. 4 may be formed,

Figure 6 i's a View similar to Figf2, but showing the record pressing matrix as applied 'to an -imlproved recor-d material according tomy present invention, and

Figure 'l is la View similar to Fig. 3, but showing,r the matrix cooperating with a surfacing material according to my present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing w-herein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout, there is shown a record press having an upper matrix I and a lower matrix 2 between which is placed a charge of material for forming a laminated disc record. The charge may consist rof a pair of spaced discs ea-ch having an outer sheet or layer 3 of suitable plastic material backed by a fibrous layer 4 of paper or the like, with an intermediate biscuit 5 of a suitable core material which is also plastic in nature, such as a mixture of shellac and filler, or a resin of the .type disclosed :in the Hunter Patent 2,130,239.

When the matrices I and 2 are brought into engagement with the plastic surface layers 3, the ridges 6 on the matrices, which form the sound grooves in the plastic layer 3, first engage and press into the highly polished, smooth surfaces of the layers 3, as seen from Fig. 2. Between the ridges 6 are pockets 1 in which air and, in some instances, other gases evolved from the materials 3 and 5 during the molding operation, become trapped. As pressure is applied to the matrices I and 2, the gas entrapped in the pockets 'I isforced against the surface layer 3 and results in irregularly shaped spots or pockets 'In in the side walls of the record groove. These spots, although microscopic in size, nevertheless manifest themselves during reproduction by distortionof the recorded signal in the form of ticks, clicks, or the like.

vTo eliminate this defect, the surface layers 3 are formed with a plurality of indentations or recesses 8 through which the trapped gases can escape during the moldingloperation. The recesses `or the like 8 may be formed in a more or less regular pattern over the surface of the layer 3,v or in an irregular and vindiscriminate fashion, as'maynbe found most suitable. By way of illustration, I have lshown the layer 3 in Fig. 4 as provided with a plurality of sets of channels 8, each set including a4 plurality ofy parallel rows,

and the rows of each set intersecting each other.

'I'he channels or the like 8 may be formed in the material 3 by means of a suitable embossing roll, for example. In Fig` 5, there is shown diagrammatically a four-high calender roll cornprising heated rollers II, I2, I3 and I4. 'I'he material of which the layers 3 are made (such as vinyl resin, or any other suitable plastic material) may be applied between the upper rolls II and I2 which rotate in opposite directions as shown by the arrows applied thereto. The roll I2` carries the material 3 to the roller I3 which, in turn, applies it to a web or strip of paper 4 fed from a roll I5 and passing around the roller I4. The plastic coated paper 3,l 4 then passes solid, single stock records as well.

from the roller I4 between a pair of rollers I6 and II. The roller I6 is smooth, while the roller I1 may be provided with ridges I8 which form the channels 8 in the layer 3 to a depth preferably less than the thickness of the layer 3, whereby the bottoms of the channels 8 are spaced from the backing layer 4. The depth, width, and shape of the channels or recesses 3 are not critical. By way of example, it may be pointed out that I have successfully used a coated sheet 3, l in which the channels 8 were approximately V-shaped in cross section and had a maximum width of 0.0015 inch and a depth of 0.0015 inch. In this particular case, the channels 8 were separated from each other on centers of approximately 0.01 inch. When a surface layer 3 having recesses as above described is employed, the gases which might otherwise be trapped are forced out along the channels 8 to the atmosphere, and the pockets or ticks 'Ia are entirely eliminated.

From the foregoing description, it will undoubtedly be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided a novel and highly effective method of eliminating ticks and other similar defects in molded records resulting from en trapped gas. An improved record formed according to my present invention is shown in Fig. '7, from which it will be seen that the pockets or spots 'Ia are entirely absent.

Although I have described the present invention with particular reference to a laminated record, it will be understood that my invention is applicable to other types of records, such as It is particularly applicable to solid records molded from smooth, plastic pre-forms, such as records molded from relatively thick, smooth sheets of vinyl polymers, methyl methacrylate, or cellulose esters or ethers. Where the records are of the laminated type, surface layers of nitrocellulose, cellulose acetate, or of resinous, plastic materials other than vinyl copolymers may be employed. Moreover, while I have illustrated the recesses 8 in the form of channels, it will be apparent that other forms of depressions or indentations may be pro vided in the surface of the layers 3. Other changes will, no doubt, readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I therefore desire that my invention shall not be limited except insofar as is made necessary by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A method of producing a phonograph record from a blank having a substantially continuous playing surface comprising a thermoplastic material, said method comprising providing said sur-y face with a plurality of grooved passages intercommunicating with each other andwith the edge of said blank and impressing a grooved sound track in said surface with sufficient heat and pressure to completely eliminate said intercommunicating passages.

2. The invention set forth 1n claim l characterized in that said passages are of the order of 0.001 inch to 0.004 inch in cross section.

3. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said passages are of the order of 0.0015 inch in maximum width and 0.0015 inch in maximum depth, and characterized in that they are spaced from each other on centers of approximately 0.01 inch.

4; The invention set forth in claim l characterized in that said passages comprise channels which are arranged in a plurality of rows, sai channels intersecting each other. f

5. The invention set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said passages comprise channels which are arranged in a plurality of sets of rows,

the channels of one set intersecting the channels of another set, and the channels of any one set being spaced from each other on centers of approximately 0.01 inch.

6. The method set forth in claim 1 characterized in that said passages are arranged indiscriminately over the surface of said material.

LAWRENCE A. WOOD, Jn.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Emerson Jan; 21, 1913 Number Number Number 15 v 333,175 497,908 

